UN Official: Israel Must Show Restraint

Robert Serry, UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, demanded Israel show 'maximum restraint' when attacked.

Gabe Kahn., 25/08/11 18:32

Robert Serry

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Robert Serry, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, expressed deep concern Thursday over a 'resurgence of violence' Gaza and southern Israel.

"In the interest of protecting the lives of civilians and for the calm to succeed, a complete halt to the firing of rockets from Gaza and a display of maximum restraint by Israel are required,” Serry told reporters.

Serry urged both sides "to immediately take steps to prevent any further escalation.”

Serry's comments are consistent with the UN's insistance Israel - a member state - not take effective action to protect its citizens from terror groups who consistently violate the norms of international law by cynically placing legitimate military targets in densely populated areas.

The onus for civilian casualties during strikes on such facilities is legally borne by the terror groups, not Israel.

The UN official did not call the attacks on Israel 'terrorism' and instead lumped them in with Israel's retaliatory strikes as 'violence,' thereby insinuating there is moral equivalence between unprovoked terror attacks and Israel's attempts to defend innocents.

Serry's comments came after Wednesday's spike in hostilities which saw at least 20 rockets fired into Israel, shooting attacks on Israel's highways, as well as customary rock-throwing attacks.

Serry did not explain how his comments were relevant as none of the terror groups in Gaza, including Hamas, are a party to the so-called 'peace process' he is supposed to be coordinating.